Just to get it out of my system....

You're getting kicked in the junk because guys care, deeply. Before you get warm and fuzzy, its not about you, but about the organization. You don't know sh!t about sh!t, you're not even close to being in the club yet, and you're already planning your exit? You haven't even gotten the chance to f it up yet, and you're already trying. Read all these posts again... and take heed. You have but one focus for the next 2-3 years of your life. Get your wings. Enjoy the ride because it sounds like you've already checked out. You're going to miss one of the greatest times in your career (if you have one) planning past it at this stage.


So with that out of the way....


For the next few years (pretty much when the JO's in your first fleet squadron say you're in), you only focus is to listen and absorb. You have no idea what you want right now. API and the VT community are a melting pot of back grounds and experience. Ask questions, listen, and like was mentioned figure out what MISSION you want. If you go P-8's because you think the almighty 737 type is your golden ticket, you may wind up hating the mission. If you hate the mission, you're going to hate your job, if you hate your job, you won't perform. If you don't perform, you're going to get crappy FITREPS. Those FITREPS will land you a sure fire crap non-flying job for your shore tour and your entire aviation career is an up hill battle at that point.

Want to hurt people and break stuff, fly off the carrier and rage in port calls? TACAIR. I'll let leave the other communities to represent themselves.

Want to know how many fighter guys there were in my new hire class at a major airline amongst all the mil guys? We had about 12 guys, all but two were fighter guys (one tanker, one Herk, the rest F-14/15/16/18/22, EA-18/6B). ZERO had a 737 type rating.

You have no idea where your career will be a DECADE from now. That's how long you're signing up for. You may decide that you love Naval Aviation and want to go career. You may get passed over for O-4 and get the boot. There are going to be good times and bad, some days you're going to be in awe that you get paid to do what you do, other days you're going to hate everything and every one. At the end of the day however those gold wings are going to open doors you don't even realize exist for opportunities you've never even heard of. It's going to be a wild ride the whole way.... don't miss it because you were too busy planning for other things.

Now, shut up and get back to your API studies. Plenty of 1000 hour pilots have failed out of API and the VT's. You're making life long friends and memories, and getting paid to learn to fly. Drink beer, chase women, have fun, for the love of GOD don't go to Vance or Enid, and above all, don't F it up. I doubt there is a pilot here that wouldn't trade places with you to go back and do it all again.